Car-coupling.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

J. K. VAUGHT. GAR GOUPLING. 'AT

PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

J. K. VAUGHT. CAR COUPLING.

ATI 1111 UNITED STATES OFFICE.

HALF TO WILLIAM M. VAUGHT,

OF ELIZABETHTON, TENNESSEE.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed September 12, 1905. Serial No. 278.091-

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH K. VAUGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabethton, in the county of Carter and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full and exact de scription, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and. use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings of the Janney type and of that class which are provided with a verticallymovable pin for locking the knuckle in its holding position.

It has for its object the provision of a device in which the pin can be easily raised to release the knuckle under all conditions. When a strain is exerted on the knuckle by coupled cars pulling against each other, the pin in the coupler is pressed by the tail of the knuckle against the side of the draw-head, so as to prevent its easy withdrawal. After when this happens it is necessary to relieve the strain on the knuckle to permit the raising of the pin. By means of the invention in the present instance the binding of the pin is prevented no matter how great the pressure of the tail of the knuckle on the pin may be.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a coupler that will be of simple and cheap construction and one that will be e'l'licient in its operation.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the carcoupling embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the couplingpin. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the coupling-head. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the knuckle.

The draw-head 1 generally has the same construction as those in ordinary use of the type mentioned. Pivoted in the mouth of the draw-head and to one side of the same is the knuckle 2 by the pin 3. The tongue 4 of the knuckle extends into the draw-head, and on its inner end is the tail 5. In the side of the draw-head is the chamber 6 for receiving the tail when the knuckle is turned inwardly. In the draw-head is the transverse partition 7, having a horizontal opening in its lower part through which the tongue passes. The inward movement of the knuckle is limited by the end of the tail contacting with the wall of the chamber 6, and its outward movement is limited by the shoulder 8 (only oneof which is shown) engaging with the stops 9 on the back of the draw-head. The upper face of the tongue and tail, as at 10, is inclined up wardly from the outer end of the tail toward the inner end of the tongue to form a camsurface. The front face of the tongue, as at 11, is beveled to form a bearing-face.

In the rear part of the draw-head in the corner of the main chamber diagonally opposite to the pivot of the knuckle is mounted the vertically-movable pin 12 for holding the knuckle in its locked position. The pin comprises the main body part 13, contained within the main chamber of the draw-head, the reduced upper extension 14, projecting through the top of the draw-head, and the lower cutaway part 15, projecting through an opening in the bottom of the draw-head shaped to fit such part. The body part 13 of the pin is rectangular, and one of its corners fits the adjacent rectangular corner of the main chamber of the draw-head. In the front face of the upper extension 14 of the pin is the notch 16 for engaging with the edge of the opening in the top of the draw-head through which the upper end of the pin extends. When the notch is in engagement with the edge of the opening, the pin will be held in an elevated position.

The upward movement of the pin is limit ed by the shoulders 17 at the upper end of the body part engaging with the top of the drawhead. Its downward movement is limited by the shoulder 18 at the lower end of the body part engaging with the bottom of the draw-head. One edge of the shoulder 18, as at 19, is beveled to form a bearing-surface.

Extending transversely through the body part 1.3 of the pin is the slot or recess 20. In this seat are the two friction-rolls 21, journaled on the bearings 22. These rolls bear against each other and project slightly from opposite sides of the pin. One of them bears on the adjacent side of the main chamber of the draw-head and the other is in a position to engage with the tongue 4 when the knuckle is turned inwardly and the pin is down.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the knuckle is in an open position, the tail 5 is beneath the shoulder 18 of the pin and the latter is held in a raised position. During a coupling operation as the knuckle is closed the tail moves beneath the shoulder until its inner end strikes the wall of the chamber 6 and the movement of the knuckle is stopped. IVhile the knuckle is so turned, the shoulder 18 rides on the cam-surface 10 until the knuckle reaches the limit of its inward movement. I/Vhen the knuckle reaches the limit of its inward movement, the tail passes beneath the shoulder 18 and the pin drops with its body part 13 in engagement with the inner end of the tongue 4, and thereby locks the knuckle in a closed position. The bearing-face 11 of the tongue and the bearing-surface 19 of the pin permit a smooth escapement of the pin when the latter is released by the tongue. The end ofthe tongue bears upon one of the friction-rolls 21. As the two friction-rolls bear against each other and one bears against the tongue and the other against the inner wall of the draw-head, they will receive the thrust of the tongue when an opening strain is placed on the knuckle. As these rolls carry all the pres sure, the pin cannot bind and can be easily raised to free the tongue preliminary to uncoupling. It is to be observed that the pins 22 do not receive any of the thrust of the knuckle. They simply serve to retain the rolls in place. If it should be desired to leave the pin in a position so that the knuckle can be turned outwardly, it is raised and the notch 16 is placed in engagement with the edge of the opening in the top of the drawhead through which the pin passes. I/Vhile the pin is so held the knuckle can be turned outwardly. Should it be turned inwardly, the tail of the knuckle by pressing against the lower part of the pin would disengage the notch from the edge of the opening and permit the pin to drop into a holding position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, a knuckle pivoted to said draw-head, a tongue on said knuckle and projecting into the drawhead, a vertically-movable pin mounted in said drawhead for engaging said tongue to hold the knuckle in a locked position, and frictionrolls mounted in said pin and projecting from opposite sides of the same to bear against the tongue and the draw-head when the knuckle is in a locked position.

2. I11 a car-coupling, a draw-head, a knuc kle pivoted to said draw-head, a tongue on said knuckle and projecting into the draw-head, a vertically-movable pin mounted in said drawhead for engaging said tongue to hold the knuckle in a locked position, and frictionrolls bearing against each other mounted in said pin and projecting from opposite sides of the same to bear against the tongue and the draw-head when the knuckle is in a locked position.

3. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, a knuckle pivoted to said draw-head, a tongue on said knuckle and projecting into the drawhead, a vertically-movable pin mounted in said drawhead for engaging said tongue to hold the knuckle in alocked position and comprising a main body part contained within said drawhead and provided with shoulders at opposite ends of said body part to limit the movement of the pin, friction-rolls ournaled in the main body part of the pin and projecting from opposite sides of the same to bear against the end of the tongue and the drawhead, and a tail on said tongue to engage with the shoulder on the lower end of the body part of the pin to hold said pin in a raised position when the knuckle is turned outwardly.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH K. VAUGHT. Witnesses LEE F. MILLER, G. C. HALL. 

